OU to honor graduates at fall commencement ceremonies Dec.19

OU to honor graduates at fall commencement ceremonies Dec. 19

Oakland University will recognize its fall 2015 graduates at several commencement ceremonies, which will all take place on Saturday, Dec. 19, in OU’s athletic O’rena. 

 

 

Graduate Students

 

 

The commencement ceremony for all master’s and doctoral degree candidates will take place at 1 p.m.

 

 

Undergraduate Students

 


Commencement ceremonies for undergraduates will take place as follows:

 

9 a.m. – College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Bachelor of Integrative Studies.

 

5 p.m. – School of Business Administration, School of Education and Human Services, School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing.

 

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COMMENCEMENT PHOTO CONTEST

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Guest Speakers

 

Undergraduate ceremonies:

 

9 a.m. – Mr. Ron May, DTE Energy Executive Vice President

              Ms. Nancy Elliott, Oakland University benefactress

 

5 p.m. – Ms. Florine Mark, President and CEO of the WW Group, Inc.

 

Master’s and doctoral ceremony:

 

1 p.m. – Ms. Marla Drutz, Vice President and General Manager of WDIV Local 4

 

 

Before and during the ceremonies

 

 

The O’rena doors will open one hour before each ceremony. All guests must have tickets and should be seated 10 minutes prior to the processional. Each ceremony lasts approximately one and a half to two hours. Graduates are asked to stay for the entire ceremony and will be directed by a marshal to exit the O’rena.

 

Family and friends who are unable to attend the commencement will be able to view the ceremonies on the commencement website as they occur. A link will be posted to the page on graduation day. Videos of the ceremonies will also be available to view on the commencement website after the ceremony.

 

 

Don’t have tickets?

 

 

Guests who don’t have tickets to commencement will be able to view the ceremony live on campus via closed circuit television in the Oakland Center Gold Rooms. Light refreshments will be provided.

 

 

Parking

 

 

Parking is free and open to the public, except where indicated. Police officers and parking attendants will be on hand to direct traffic. All event parking is located within a 5-minute walk to the O'rena, and buses, motor coaches and vans will be making stops in all lots to shuttle those who prefer to ride.

 

In case of inclement weather, information on cancellation of ceremonies is available by calling the university at (248) 370-2000, tuning in to WJR or WWJ radio, or watching FOX2, WDIV-TV or WXYZ-TV.

 

Live traffic and event updates will be posted to the Oakland University Police Department Twitter @OUPD.

 

An American Sign Language interpreter will be present at each ceremony to aid the hearing impaired. Wheelchair accessible seating is available for guests and a handicap accessible parking lot is located next to the O’rena in P16.

 

For additional commencement information, call (248) 370-2190 or view the commencement website at oakland.edu/commencement. Watch a live stream during the ceremonies at oakland.edu/outv/live-streams/commencement.

 

 

Honorary degree recipients

 

 

Nancy Elliott will receive an honorary degree at the 9 am. ceremony.

 

Ms. Elliott has been actively involved with Oakland University since the late 1980s. She is an avid supporter of Meadow Brook Hall and its annual Holiday Walk, and most recently served on the President’s Campaign Planning Committee.

 

Together with her husband, she has established six endowed funds, four of which provide scholarships for students in athletics, in biological sciences and in business. A fifth endowment is for a lecture in The Honors College on human relations as they relate to diplomatic communication and diversity. Elliott Hall, home of the School of Business Administration, was named as a result of a generous gift of $2 million. For her efforts, Ms. Elliott also received OU’s 2003 Honorary Alumni Award.

 

For many years, Ms. Elliott dreamed of creating a “meeting place” on campus that would uniquely brand Oakland University and distinguish it from other Michigan campuses. Her dream, persistence and very generous donation of $6.5 million resulted in the grand opening of Elliott Tower in 2014. Ms. Elliott also established a sixth endowment to maintain the tower in perpetuity.

 

Florine Mark will receive an honorary degree at the 5 p.m. ceremony.

 

For more than 30 years, Ms. Mark has been an inspirational leader promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyles through her business endeavors, civic engagement, community participation and philanthropic contributions.

 

While she may be best known for building the WW Group into the largest franchise of Weight Watchers International, Ms. Mark’s work touches many other organizations and causes. She serves as an adviser and board member for more than 35 committees and civic organizations, including the American Heart Association, Detroit Institute for Children, Business Leaders for Michigan and the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. Crain’s Detroit Business named her one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Detroit. 

 

Ms. Mark shares also her knowledge and inspiration through a weekly radio show, “Remarkable Women,” which airs on stations across Michigan. She can also be seen on the popular “Ask Florine” segment on WDIV Local 4 News.